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Panorama Malmedy
Photo: Dominik Ketz, CC BY-SA, East Belgium Tourist Agency
This short stage on the hiking trail GR56 takes you via the 'Warche variant'. From Malmedy, the well made trail proceeds constantly upstream.
Open
moderate
Distance 9.8 km
Duration3:05 h
Ascent297 m
Descent122 m
Highest point519 m
Lowest point340 m
Through the archway next to the Taverne St. Pierre on the Place Albert 1er in Malmedy, this tour starts in a fairly spectacular way. It goes up on to the Kalvarienberg, with the climb demanding quite a bit of effort from your legs. Compensation comes in the form of an outstanding view out over the town.
Then on via Chaudes, down into the Warche valley. With this view over the beautiful Warche valley you follow a small hiking trail which winds its way along, sometimes up and sometimes downhill. Some fitness is called for here too. The only constant is the Warche itself, always in view.
After that, you come to the rock formation 'Nez de Napoléon' (Napoleon's Nose), and a little later the majestic Burg Reinhardstein comes into view. N.B.: If you want to visit the castle you need to follow the trail further into the valley, as otherwise you remain on the 'Warche variant', which takes you to the hikers' car-park by the dam wall of the lake at Robertville.
Author’s recommendation
Burg Reinhardstein – guided tours possible at weekends and on public holidays. There is also a small restaurant with regional products and tasty beer.
MALMEDY - The Place Albert I is the centre of Malmedy. Here you will find a whole range of accommodation, restaurants and shops. To the right of us in house 29a is the House of Tourism (Maison de Tourisme) the East Belgium Tourism Agency TAO. There you will find all the information the hiker needs, hiking guides, hiking maps etc.
Today we continue our hike on the GR56 and choose the Warche variant. The Warche, which accompanied us on the previous stage, comes from a spring area between Hünningen and Losheimergraben. We will follow the Warche continuously upstream on the next stages.